[lit-ideas] Iran (7) Hezbollah's Weapons
- From: "Lawrence Helm" <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 3 Feb 2006 12:11:14 -0800
On page 20, Berman writes, "Iran, with active assistance from Syria, has
launched a massive effort to broaden the Lebanese militia's missile
capabilities - one that has included the delivery of thousands of Katyusha
artillery rockets, as well as hundreds of Iranian-made Fajr-5 short range
missiles, to the terrorist group. This program has been wildly successful;
Israeli intelligence now estimates that Hezbollah has approximately 13,000
short range rockets, some 500 medium-range rockets, and several dozen longer
range rockets with a range of up to 215 kilometers (130 miles). Moreover,
these capabilities have profoundly altered the correlation of forces between
the Shi-ite militia and the State of Israel. In a January 2005 interview
with Israel's Channel 2 television, one prominent Israeli parliamentarian
cited Hezbollah's expanding arsenal - and its resulting ability to target
much of Israel - as the reason why Israel so far has failed to take military
action against the group.
"Tehran also has actively aided and abetted the group's efforts to acquire
weapons of mass destruction. In mid-2002, reports emerged that Hezbollah
had stated to outfit its arsenal of short-range missiles with chemical
warheads at two terrorist training facilities run by Iran's Pasdaran.
"Since September 11th Iran has worked hard to ensure the survivability of
its most important terrorist asset. Fearing that Hezbollah might become the
target of American military action, it redirected some of the militia's
activities to Africa in late 2001. There, drawing on its vast smuggling
network and its involvement in the African diamond trade, the organization
has thrived. The extent of Hezbollah's successes became evident in late
2003, when the crash of a commercial charter jet bound for Beirut from Benin
killed three Hezbollah Officials, reportedly carrying some $2 million in
what amounts to regular contributions to the group from Lebanese
expatriates.
"Furthermore, in early 2004, Iranian defense Minister Ali Shamkhani made a
high-profile visit to Syria, where he signed a 'memorandum of understanding'
codifying Iran's commitment to defend the Ba'athist state in the event of an
Israeli or American offensive. On a subsequent stopover in Beirut,
Shamkhani made a point of meeting, with Hezbollah's top leadership, to whom
he affirmed hat the newly minted security guarantees between Tehran and
Damascus, also extended to the terrorist group's stronghold, Lebanon.
"Iran's assistance, in turn, has allowed Hezbollah to commence a landmark
strategic expansion, widening its presence in Europe, Asia, Latin America,
and the Levant. The group has also deepened its alliances with other
terrorist organizations, helping elements of Al-Qaeda to put down roots in
Lebanon, assisting Hamas with the development of an indigenous missile
capability, and coordinating anti-Israeli and anti-American activities with
an assortment of extremist groups. As a result, according to American
officials, the threat to American security posed by Hezbollah now rivals, or
even exceeds, that of al-Quaeda."
Lawrence
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